Pliers



R. WHITAKER, 1R.

Patented J uly' 13, 1920.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD WHITAKER, JR., OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEVJ JERSEY, ASSIGNGR TO IJEADIU FACTURERS IRON 8c STEEL COMPANY, OF NEIV BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, A COR- PORATION 0F NEW'JERSEY.

Application filed March 8, 1919. Serial No. 281.462.

To all whom it may concern Be it known. that I, RICHARD WHITAKER, Jr, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Brunswick, in the county of Middle-- sex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pliers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improvement in pliers, and more particularly to an improvement in side cutting pliers provided with removable or detachable cutters or cutting edges. One object of the invention is to improve upon the construction and arrangement of the parts of side cutting pliers provided with removable cutters in order to increase the efficiency and durability of the pliers, while at the same time enabling the cutters, when worn, to be quickly removed and replaced by a new pair. A further object of the invention is to construct the removable cutters in such form that the strains to which they are subj ected while in use will have no tendency to loosen them in the recesses formed in the plier jaws for their reception. To the accomplishment of these objects, the invention consists in the improved pliers described and claimed in the following specification:-

The preferred form in which it is at present contemplated embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying" drawings, in which Figure 1 is a rear side elevation of the improved pliers in closed position; Fig. 2 is a front side elevation of the pliers in opened position Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and Fig t is a perspective of one of the removable cutters. i f

The improvement of the present invention is applicable to side cutting pliers of any usual or preferred form; the pair of pliers shown in the accompanying drawings being of the type. known as linemens pliers. In pliers of this type, it is necessary to provide for a wide opening of the jaws and also a wide opening between the cutting edges or cutters of the pliers. It is also necessary that the cutting edges or cutters be located as close as possible to the fulcrum of the pliers in order to secure the proper leverage. In pliers of this type there is also provided a square or rectangular opening or throat behind the cutting edges, so that the pliers may be used by the lineman as a wrench for Specification of Letters Patent.

PLIERS.

Patented July 13, 1920.

loosening and tightening binding screws and contact terminals. These various essential features of a pair of linemens pliers are present in the pliers illustrated in the drawings and :the removable cutters of the present invention are so constructed as not to interfere either with the wide opening of the, jaws or with the rectangular wrenchlike opening behind the cutting edges.

The pliers as illustrated comprise two parts or sections 5 and 6, and each section consists of a jaw 7 and a handle 8 by which the jaws are manipulated. The plier sections are connected at 9 by a relativelylarge fulcrum and the parts of the pliers immediately adjacent the fulcrum are relatively heavy in order that the pliers may stand the heavy usage to which linemen and others subject this type of pliers. The cutting edges 10 of the pliers are, as is usual, located as near as is mechanically convenient to the fulcrum '9. The portions 11 of the jaws extending beyond the cutting edges 10 constitute the gripping part of the jaws and are of the full width of the pliers. From the point of junction 12 between. the cutting edges 10 and the portions 11, however, toward the fulcrum, the jaws are recessed not only to provide for the cutting edges but also. to provide a rectangular throat 13 (Figs. 1 and 3) which may serve the purposes of awrench.

In the pliersas modified according to the present invention, the cutting edges 10 are formed, not on the plier jaws themselves,

a but on detachable cutter pieces let whichare received and held in recesses formed in the front sides, or the opposing faces, of the jaws in such manner that the cutting edges of the cutter pieceswill occupy the same relativeposition with respect to themselves and the other parts of the pliers that they would occupy if they were made integral with the plier jaws. It will be noted that the I bases 17 ofthe cutter pieces are relatively thin and that their inner faces and their bottom faces are parallel throughout their entire width and that they are of substantially uniform thickness, except where the cutting edges are formed. The thin flat bases are of advantage in that they make it unnecessary to deeply recess the jaws of the pliers. Thus the strength of the jaws is preserved. In order that the cutter pieces 14 may not become loosened so as to fall out of their recesses while the pliers are in use, each piece is providedon its base or bottom side with aflangeor tongue whichis snugly re. ceived in a corresponding groove formed in the end or forward part of the plier jaw,

that is, that part of the plier jaw farthest away from the fulcrum. The cutter pieces are held against lateral displacement by means of screws 16 which pass through the rear side of the cutter jaws and into the basesor bottoms 17 ofthe cutter pieces The bottoms of the cutter pieces are of thesame thickness as the flanges or tongues 15 fora substantial part of the width of the cutter pieces as shown most clearly in Figs, 3 and a. From about the point l8 (Fig. 41-), the cutter pieces are provided with upturned lips 19', andthe upper edges 20 of these lips constitute the cutting edges of the cutter pieces. 7 By reason ofthe fact that the bases ofthecutter pieces. are flat on their opposing sides for more'than half theirwidth a rec'- tangular threat is formed when the jaws of the pliers are closed as shown in Figs. land Th ectangu ar thr a has the ame di:

7 mensjions and canbeput to samepur poses to wh ch the rectangular threats in, the Jaws of thls'type of pliers are put. Th s is by reason .of thenovel construction of the improved detachable cutter pieces.

The above descrihed.construction of side cutting pliers issuch that the cutting strain is n t impos d up th hr d o the Screws ich has u ter piec ag in t lat eral movement; Th s is of the utn ost 1mportance' in side cutting pliers provided with able cutters. Informer constructions of side cutting pliers provided with detachable tut ters the cuttinglstrains and stresses, so far as is known' have been imposed more-oriless upon thescrews which hold the cuttersin place, with the inevitable'result that the cutters become loosenedand, soyineffectivel' The present 1 construction of side cutting pliers with detachable cutters. eliminates these' difliculties by absolutely removing all cutting. strains from the screws. In fact;

the only functionperformedby the screws is to holdfthe cutters against lateral move ment, the; whole of theicuttmg strain being taken up by the tongues projecting laterally from the bases of the cutters and received in sp ia g oo es pravideel IfOJJiillQl LLQQQEllOQ t 111 h i them elves- Thiszcenst qi n, more veazenables asbre en or warn pair of cutter pieces to be quickly and easlly replaced by a new pair, for the reason that the threads. of the screws are never injured and the tongues of the cutter pieces are heavy and strong enough to reslst any twisting or breaking strains.

It will be understoodthat the invention is notlimited to .tlre preciseform described above and illustratedin the drawings, but that it may be'embo'diedin other forms within the scope of'the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is t 1. A pair of side cuttingpliers comprising a pair-of jaws, handles by which the jaws may be manipulated, "a removable cutter for each jawlcon'sisting of a thin flat base and a utting edge f ormedat substantially right angles thereto, said base being of suhstantially uniform thickness except where the cutting edge is formed and. being prolongediat one side. beyond the end of the cutting edge to form a tongue, and recesses in the opposed" faces of the jaws to receive the cutters, each recess b eing'provided with a groove to receivethe tongue of a cutter.

21 A pair of side cutting pliers comprising a pair ofjaws, handles bywhich the jaws may be manipulated a removable cutter for each jaw consisting of a flat-base and angles theretofsaidbase having its inner face and its bottom parallel throughout its full width and being extended at oneside to form a tongue, and recesses in the opposed faces of the jaws "to; receive the cuttersyeach recess being provided with a groove tore ceive the tongue ofacut'ter V T pair of side cuttmg plierscomprising a pair ofjawsfhandlesby whic'h'the RICHARD WHITAKER-5 R.

' a cutting edge formed-at substantially right 

